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A Rod 
for the Back of 
the Binder 


Some Considerations 
PPLiTiT celefiBmiaraps, 3 
Sb Reon 
the Ideals of 
The Lakeside Press 


The Primary Object of Binding 


a Book is to Preserve It. The 
Merit of a Binding, Primitively 
its Sole and always its Chief 
Merit, Consists in its Solidity 


and Durability—We ALE. 


The Lakeside Press 
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company 
Chicago : 1928 


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COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY R. R. DONNELLEY & SO 
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PREFACE 


HE Extra Binding Department of The Lakeside Press was 
established in 1921 with the idea that there was a place for a 


bindery whose standard was simply the best that could be done. 
We issued a book in ro25 declaring our principles and showing the 
manner of our decoration at that time, and present here our later work 
up to and including the year 1927. 

Our preference zs for simple tooling, although this book shows some 
elaborate work. It is not possible to show the quality of the forwarding 
(2. ¢. the binding itself) in an illustration, hence the tendency of the 
binder to show his skill in elaborate tooling, 

Notable books on book binding are almost entirely on the subject of 
decoration, its history, bibliography, and identifications with certain 
binders of the past. The subject of forwarding is touched on only lightly. 
A real forwarder with a feeling for fine binding and judgment in the 
details of his work is extremely rare. A finely bound book with a good 
choice of leather is athing of beauty in itself, and needs from the designer 
and finisher a great deal of thought and a small amount of tooling to 
make it a work of att. 

The subject matter of this book treats binding from a new angle, 
describing those book binding details concerning which mistaken ideas 
exist or in which bad binding practices are prevalent. T hese notes were 
written from the stand point of the causes of defects developed in a bind- 
ing when on the bookshelf in an American home. When Mr. de Sauty 
had read them, he exclaimed, “You are giving them a rod with which 
to beat us.” So be it. Nothing could be better than a clientele of well- 
avmed critics helping us to maintain that standard of quality which 


we have set up as our practice. 
R. R. DonnELLEY & Sons ComMPANY 
Chicago, 1928 


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PLATE I 

‘“GORIDON. S SONG: 

< STRERIGCHARD S DAUGHTER: “DANIEL PRHSs. 
MAUVE LEVANT. GOLD TOOLED, 


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PLAT ESE 
CHAUCER S WORKS—KELMSCOTT PRESS. 
BROWN LEVANT. BLIND TOOLED. 


A ROD 
FOR THE BACK OF 
THE BINDER 


workmanship and extra quality of materials. It is to ex- 
tra binding that the following notes are devoted. The 
large proportion of extra bound books found in American 
homes has been bought already bound from book sellers. 
The Ametican bookseller buys these books abroad where cer- 
tain large binderies combine a binding and bookselling busi- 
ness. They buy old books, often clean and wash them and make 
them otherwise vendible, and bind for their stock, probably 
eighty percent of which goes to America. On very valuable 
books, that is books worth several hundred dollars, their work 
is likely to be in accordance with the best binding practice. On 
less valuable books, that is books worth less than one hundred 
dollars, a compromise enters into their constructional methods. 

Most American collectors owning large and valuable li- 
braries have, in the past, sent their books for binding to these 
same foreign firms. There are also a few individual or studio 
binders abroad who handle some of the American collectors’ 
work and some of whom do the finest work obtainable. There 


» 


Lever binding is known as “extra” binding, meaning extra 


ate practically no extra binders in America. All of our own 
adult craftsmen have come direct from England. 

The great majority of buyers and even notable book collec- | 
tors know little of binding construction and judge by appear- 
ance only. Others buy with some surface knowledge, but with 
no appreciation of the underlying principles on such points 
as freedom of joints, proper opening qualities, absence of warp 
in the covers; all important advantages, which, however, are 
sometimes achieved by methods detrimental to the binding. 
In order to discuss these binding principles, it is necessary to 
use some technicalities, but these have been kept as simple as 
possible and explained by drawings. | 


SEWING—GOOD AND BAD 


Sewing is the foundation of good binding. In the older work the 
sewing was generally round five cords or “bands,” in large folios 
sometimes six of seven and in small volumes 
three or four cords. These cords were frayed 
out at the ends and laced into the boards, mak- 
ing a rugged but strong and lasting binding. ES 

Fraying is done by untwisting the strands E== 
of the sewing cords and teasing them out into 
their constituent long silky fibres (fig. 1). 

This is done 
to enable the cords to lie flat on 
the edge of the boards where 
laced in; the boards are punched 
with two holes foreach cord and 
a slight V-shaped groove is cut 


in the edge of the board next the book (fig. 2); the frayed ends 
ate then pasted and drawn through the first hole and then passed 
up through the second hole after which the end is cut off and 
securely fastened. The groove and the fraying minimize the 
lump which would otherwise occur at this point. 


FLEXIBLE SEWING 


The sewingreferred to above 
is known as “flexible” sewing 
and, as will be seen from the 
sketch (fig. 3), ensures each sig- 
nature of the book being directly 
attached to the cords five times. 
The cords ate stretched onasew- 
ing “frame” (fig. 4). The thread enters at one end of the sig- 
natute, goes round each cord in turn, comes out at the opposite 
end and forms what is known as 


the “kettle” stitch (a corruption 7 
of the words “catch up” stitch) | GT 


thence into the next signature 
and so on through the complete 
book. It may be of interest to 
know that the sewing frames 
we use ate identical with those 
in use in the sixteenth century. In very large folios double — 
cords are used (fig. 5). These cords, whether single or double, 
form the ridges or raised 
“bands” apparent on the back- 
bone of the book. 

Il 


HEADBAND 


In some cases the “headband” is sewn on an extra cord at the 
head and tail of the book, the ends being laced into the boards. 

The headband serves to strengthen the leather and take the strain 
incurred in removing a book from the shelves. 

In the majority of modern work the headband is no longer 
sewn on the body of the book, but is merely a piece of imita- 
tion woven material stuck on and serving no useful purposes. 


ORDINARY SEWING 


In a desire to save time and cheapen production cost, what 
is known as “ordinary” sewing was devised. In this case instead 
of the customary five cords, 
three (and frequently only 
two grooves) are sawed in- 
to the back of the book, 
cords are stretched in these 
grooves below the surface 
of the backbone and the 

| “X27 ___@q| sewing is done over instead 

, a of round the cords (fig. 6). 
a Wi J This method of sewing 
| ae is weak inasmuch as the 

book is no longer = au to the cords as in flexible 
sewing; the number of cordsis fewer thus entailing fewer holds. 

Other objectionable points are: 

J. The sawn gtooves which show when the book is opened. 
Il. The entry of the glue used in later stages into these grooves, 
which stiffens the back and impairs its flexibility. 
12 


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BROWN LEVANT. BLIND AND GOLD TOOLED. 


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DARK GREEN LEVANT. INLAID AND GOUD_TOOLED. 


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In the case of books sewn ordinary fashion and sometimes 
rebound and resewn again in the same way (very often with 
new grooves) this method offers very serious problems to any 
succeeding binder anxious to do his best. Either costly repairs are 
necessaty ot the grooves are left. These grooves may be found 
sometimes in flexibly sewn work, a relic of previous binders. 


FALSE BANDS 


A further objectionable feature entailed by this method of 
sewing is the addition of “false” bands. False bands consist usu- 
ally of five narrow strips Of [Gite Bande—eithr a rip of leather ov pasteboard 
leather or pasteboard stuck on u 
to thebackaftersewing toim- 
ply after the leather cover has 
been drawn over them that 
the regulation number of cords has been used and the book 
flexibly sewed (fig. 7); further, these bands are stuck on to 
what is known as a “hollow” back (discussed later). 

A very cursory examination of a binding will reveal its 


method of sewing. 

The lacing in of the ends of the cords to the boards causes 
a series of slight swellings or bumps to show under the leather 
covet. 

In the case of flexible sewing one bump will show at the 
hinge of the cover coinciding with and indicating each actual 
cord or raised band and one bump slightly lower and further in 
will indicate where the loose end has been re-laced for strength. 

In a book sewn by the ordinary method, bumps will often 
appear where there are no cords, a certain evidence of false bands. 


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Fewer bumps than bands will ap- 
pear, showing clearly the number 
of cords used in contradiction of the 
five false bands on the back (fig, 8). 
These bumps are the best ev- 
idence of sewing methods and 
should be noticeable but should 
: == not be so prominent as to cause ab- 
rasion of the leather at these points. The bumps in the above 
drawing have been exaggerated to emphasize this point. (To 
further economize it is sometimes customary to cut off the ends 
of some of the cords after sewing and lace ina minimum of two 
ot three only, still further weakening construction.) 
Frequently, to meet one of the buyer's mistaken demands 
for neatness, the greater part of the strands on each cord ate 
cut off and the remainder extravagant- 
ly frayed out, greatly impairing its 
strength. Since some of these cords ate 
cut off altogether to minimize time 
in lacing in, it is easy to realize what 
construction sacrificed to neatness, at this point (fig. 9) entails. 
The substitution of ordinary for flexible sewing is entirely 
tosave cost, for, with ordinary sewing, considerable time can be 
saved in the subsequent processes of “rounding and backing” as 
well as in the sewing itself. 


ROUNDING 


Rounding isthe shaping (by hammering) of the back intoa 
cutved form and is preparatory to backing. 


14 


PLATE V 
«oH EPHEARDE S CALENDAR —KELMSCOTT PRESS. 
OLIVE GREEN LEVANT. INLAID AND GOLD TOOLED. 


PLATE VI 
KEPPEL S ‘‘HANDBOOK ON ETCHERS.. 
HALF BINDINGS. JAPANESE PAPER SIDES. 


’ 


The rounding determines the shape of the back( fig.10). The 
amount of round and subsequent backing has some relation to 
the opening qualities. 

The extremes are the semi-circular back (#) much favored 
by the French binders and the square flat back (4) used in some 


cases by cettain English binders; much of Cobden-Sandetson’s 
earlier work hasasquare back. The former shape renders a book 
difficult to open and lay flat while the latter (on large books 
particularly) although opening wellis liable to cave in and pro- 
ject the book beyond its boards on the fore-edge (c). A happy 
medium is recommended as in (4). 

In the case ofa flexibly sewn book the leather cover isdtawn 
over the back and stuck directly to the bands and back of the 
book; that is, the cover is flexible with the book when it is 
opened. 

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HOLLOW BACK 

Most ordinary sewn books are made with a “hollow” back. 
The hollow back is made by lining up the back (after sewing) 
with folds of paper on top of which 
the false bands are stuck, and the 
book is then covered. 

The book when opened then 
throws up the hollow supporting 
the leather, which does not wrinkle. 
But it will be seen that the leather is no longer an intimate or 
integral part of the book (fig. 11) as it is in a flexibly sewn 
book (fig. 12). | 


Since the hollow back is an obvious 


at these points only 


Leather directly attached 
to back of book 


sacrifice of construction it is undesirable. 
To further imitate flexibly sewn 


work the hollow back is sometimes 

omitted, the back lined up very stiffly 

ered. This makes the book so stiff that it is necessary to use 

a considerable amount of 

VS I 

ms Ea me 
| dinary method are always 

the hollow back. One can easily detect the hollow back by 

opening the book wide and looking down the backbone from 

tight down the book between the leather cover and the back 

of the book (fig. 13). 


with thick paper, the false bands put on this and the book cov- 
force in opening it. 
bound in one or other of the above two methods, generally 
the top; the hollow back will show an open space running 
16 


The flexibly sewn book cannot do this as the leather 1s 
firmly fastened to the whole of the back of the book instead of 


at the hinges only. 
PANELS 


In general practice, bands are usually regularly 
spaced; this divides the back into six distinct panels; 
the lowest panel is purposely arranged to be slightly | 
longer than the others; otherwise, owing to an optical 
illusion, it would appear shorter (jig, 14). 

Some variation in spacing is sometimes adapted, 
and is arrived at by eliminating some sewing cords 
and grouping the remainder differently from the or- 
thodox spacing. This is usually done with a view to | 
making construction conform to design. 


BUILT UP BANDS 


A flexibly sewn book has an obvious ruggedness of appear- 
ance, the bands look as if they were really made up of a round 
Peiiling Ub cord and they should not be unduly 
pinched up in covering to imitate 
e @\— something square as is often the case. 
An absurd fashion recurs from time 
to time of building up the bands very high with sttips of 
leather or cardboard before covering (fig 15);a great amount 
of time and trouble is wasted in trying to create an impression 
of great strength. Bands so treated are just a pretence and some- 
what of a danger, for owing to their height and squareness they 
ate mote likely to suffer from a blow than are the softly 
rounded contours of a real cord band. They are uncomfortable 


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to handle and only stiffen the cords where flexibility is desir- 
able. An examination of any old bindings of the 15th or 16th 
century will demonstrate the directness of methods and absence 
of pretence in those days. 


SEWING ON TAPES 


Sewing on flat tapes is an excellent method in the case of 
thick, heavy books and especially so on books of reference likely 
to be handled considerably: such as dictionaries, music, atlases, 
etc. 

Flat tapes are used in place of cords; these admit of very free opening 
and since there are no projecting bands, the back is subjected toless wear. 

The ends of the tapes should 
be inserted between and stuck 
to split boards (made by stick- 
ing a thick and a thin board to- 
gether, (fig. 16). This with a 
=== Ss ——_7/ cloth joint sewn on inside, com- 

SS SS Y bined with what is known as a 
lean French joint outside makes a 
vety strong, serviceable binding. The French joint consists in 
keeping the boards a slight distance away from the shoulder 
of the book. This leaves a groove and room for leather of full 
thickness in the joint. 


END PAPERS 


The end papers, which form a buffer at each end of the book, 
should be liberal in number and should be sewn to the cords 
with the book and not merely tipped or pasted on. 

18 


PLATE VII 


“JARDIN DES GEMMES, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR. 
OLIVE GREEN LEVANT. INLAID AND GOLD TOOLED. 


VIII 


PLATE 
‘“JAHRBUCH DER EINBANDKUNST. 


HALF BLACK LEVANT. 


, 


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PAPER SIDES, 


INLAID AND GOLD TOOLED. 


Leather (or cloth) joints are 
used in work which warrants the 
extra cost involved. These again 
should be sewn on with the book 
(fig. 17). Leather flies area luxury 
fittingly used with leather “dou- 
blures” (board linings). 


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BACKING 


Backing is the forming (by hammering) of the shoulder to receive 
the boards. To back a flexibly sewn book calls for a high degree 
of craftsmanship and considerable | 
time as compared with backing 
an ordinaty sewn book. Ds 

Backing consists of taking the 
book after rounding, placing it in 
a ptess between backing boards 
and by driving blows with a ham- 
met, forcing the back of the book 
to either side from the center (jig. 
18). This creates the shoulder or joint for the boards. In flexibly 
sewn work this requires extreme care and neatness owing to 
the projecting bands. 


Shoulder 
No t S houlder 
‘Formed 


lin 


Formed 


PAPER 


Paper is a determining factor in the opening qualities of a binding. 
Many publishets stretch a small book into a large one by the 
use of paper too bulky and stiff in relation to page size to admit 
of flexibility. A book printed with the grain of the paper run- 
ning parallel to the backbone opens more freely when bound. 


a, 


TRIMMING AND TREATING EDGES 


Trimming should be as sparing as possible; the tops cut just 
enough to obtain a solid edge for gilding; fore-edges and tails 
either uncut or trimmed as little as may be to save destroying 
marginal proportions. 

Many books, and practically all the private press books is- 
sued today ate printed on unevenly folded papets having a very 
rough deckle which in time becomes nothing but a dust trap 
and unsightly. In binding, a certain amount of hand trimming 
(before sewing) of the roughest of the deckle on the fore-edge 
and tail is desirable, always leaving some untrimmed pages, 
known as “proof” sheets, as evidence of a regard for margins. 
Uncut folded sheets should be opened, but with the owner's 
permission only, for a “desirable unopened copy” has to be 
respected! 


EDGE GILDING 


The purpose of gilding is to keep out dust and dirt. Gilding the 
top setves this very useful purpose and allows of easy dusting; 
the fore-edge and tail need not be gilt as no useful purpose 
is attained. 

Thehighly burnished solid gilt edges of abook gilt all round 
we believe is very poor taste; the fact that a book is composed 
of single sheets is lost sight of in the desire to obtain what has 
often been described as a “brass bedstead” effect. To get a surface 
smooth enough to solid gild, undue cutting of the edges is nec- 
essary and margins are sacrificed. If desired the fore-edge and 
tail may be rough gilt before sewing, and fine books ate often 
treated this way. 

20 


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PLATE 1X 
"_-yALE PRESS. RIGHT: ‘‘SONNETS-OF SIR..PHILIE SIDNEY .—VALE PRESS. 


JREEN LEVANT. INLAID. AND GOULD. TOOLED. 


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PLATE X 

LEFT: '‘GENTLE ART OF MAKING ENEMIES  —WHISTLER. GREEN LEVANT. 

RIGHT: “BALLAD OF BEAU BROCADE —AUSTIN DOBSON. RED-LEVANT. 
INLAID AND GOLD TOOLED: 


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Books with thick signatures and books with | 
plates should not be gilt all round as they are liable | 
to show statts, especially on the fore-edge (fig.19) 

Plates are usually printed on an entirely differ- 
ent paper than that used in the body of the book 


and have a tendency to shrink or expand at a different ratio. 
Papert again isa factor in gilding; most hand made and good 
class machine made papets gild well but the softer bulk and 
cheap gtades show a fluffy or ragged surface when gilded. 
Brown stain burnished is suitable and pleasant on some types 
of binding and goes well with quietly bound books finished 
with “blind” tooling. 


SQUARES 


The squares of a binding ave 
the amount of board projecteng from 
the three edges. The prime object 
of the square is to protect the 
edges (fig.20). A large square, 

| however, is more liable to give 
toa blow than a small one with the natural buffer or fender of 
the book behind it. The French binders use a small square, 
Cobden-Sanderson advocated and preferred one, and so do we. 


THE LEATHER COVER 


The demand for high finish and unnecessary neatness results 
in some of the worst features in modern work and these will be 
apparent in considering the leather cover and its true functions. 
The hinge is the most exercised part of the binding. To make 
aa 


a neat joint and good opening qualities, it 1s necessary to pare 
or scrape the leather at the hinge or joint, but it is often un- 
duly pared at great loss of strength to meet the desire fora 
freely swinging board. 

A test sometimes applied is to see whether the boards will 
touch freely in the position shown in the sketch (fig. 21). 

A book which causes the boards to touch (or nearly touch) 
when held in this position indicates that the leather is too thin- 
pared in the joint and liable to early breakage. 

A little sacrifice of neatness here will re- 
sult ina corresponding gain in the length of 
life in a joint, usually the first place toshow 
signs of wear. A book which opens at the 
joint too freely will not last. Paring must 
be done with discretion and due regard paid 
to the amount taken off in relation to the 
size of the book. It should be as little as 
possible. 

Another point where excessive sharp- 
ness is looked for is the turn-in of the leather 
overt the edges of the boards; this has to take a great deal of 
wear and tear, especially on the tail-edge (lower end of book). 

The very slightest rasping of the edges of ‘Pe 
the board before covering will permit the use 
of thicker leather with an added gain in 
strength (fig. 22). Leather 

The leather coming over the bands and back 
should not be over pared, for the thicker the leather the 
more protection to the foundation of the binding; the 


NOT RASPED 


pie 


sewing, An examination 
ofsome old bindings will 
teveal the use of prac- 
tically full thickness of 
leather on the back and 
elsewhere. The cover, 
while damp, was tied 
down with strings to al- 


low the leather to adhere to and conform with the bands when 


dry (fig. 23). The strings left their impression above and below 
the bands and toa certain extent just over on to the side. 

These marks ate sometimes pleasantly used as decoration 
by extending them, as illustrated, and finishing them with a 
stamp; a style of decoration now knownas “tied” bands, but dec- 
Oftation subservient to construction. 


LEATHER 


The leathers most frequently used in bookbinding are goat- 
skin, known as Morocco, Levant and Niger; calfskin, known 
as Calf and known in England as Russia; pigskin, sealskin and 
sheepskin, known as Skiver, Roan and what not. Goatskin, pig- 
skin and sealskin, if properly prepared, make fine binding 
leathers. 

Calfskin does not weat so well and we do not recommend 
its use. It is largely used as it is cheaper, works up more easily, 
can be bought in a great variety of beautiful colors and takes a 
polish that makes it a very flashy binding. 

Few extra binderies use sheepskin in any form. The finest 
binding leathers all come from abroad. 

oa 


Large skins cut out mote eco- 
nomically than small ones, but ow- 
ing to their thickness large skins 
have to be unmercifully pared for 
small books with a great loss of 
strength; for this reason covers for 
small books should be cut from 
: : smaller skins. The back and sides 

parts 7 a SL svine. give the best leather while that 

“—_______} from the flanks, neck and legs 1s 
much looser of texture and less strong. Covers should be cut from 
the best parts (fig. 24). 

The spine on a skin is usually quite marked. In cutting 
a cover a concession to appearance is made by avoiding this 
marking; it is a natural one and in no way 
detracts from strength. On large books it is 
almost impossible to cut a cover without in- 
cluding it and it is not without decorative 
effect if discreetly placed (fig. 25). 

Regarding the grain: the goatskin used 
in the preparation of the finest levants has a 
characteristic large, bold grain and is highly 
decorative; this is commercially imitated (difficult to detect 
on a book) by taking a mould from a genuine skin and en- 
graving it on rollers through which an inferior leather is passed. 

Close examination will show the coarse hair marks on a 
goatskin to be differently grouped to the closely spaced wool 
marks evident in a sheepskin. The fibres in the skin of a goat 
are longer and more tensile than those in the skin of the less 


24 


PIGSKIN 


PLATE XI 
LEATHERS. 


CALFSKIN 


XII 


PLALE 
ILLUSTRATIONSOIN: COLOR B21. 


4 


SCHMIET. 


ins 


LES CLIMATS. 
BLUE LEVANT. 


ITH BRILLIANT COLORS: 


LN GALD) WwW: 


TW OSS ERAS 


active sheep, hence goatskin has better wearing qualities. Pig- 
skin has a characteristic marking and should show the bristle 
marks itregularly spaced; these again are sometimes imitated 
on an inoffensive sheepskin which more often masquerades as 
a crocodile skin or goatskin, than it appeats as a sheepskin. 


METHODS OF TANNING AND DYEING 


Owing to methods entirely different from those formerly 
used intanning and dyeing, methodsadapted to rapid and cheap- 
et production, modern leather is much poorer in quality. 

The demand for “fancy” colors which can be obtained only 
by distinctly harmful means is another factor. 

Everyone seriously interested in binding is recommended 
to read the report of the Committee on Leather for Bookbind- 
ing of the Society of Arts, England. This was published by 
George Bell and Sons, London, 1900. 

In substance this committee found that the great difference 
in wearing qualities of the leather of the sixteenth century and 
that of today is due to the following causes: 


I. The different methods of tanning and dyeing. 


IL. Use of free sulphuric acid, seldom properly washed out. 

III. Additional hazards to leather owing to modern living 
conditions. 

IV. Demand for highly polished or crushed surface on leather 
covets. 


One mill in England makes leather in accordance with the 
recommendations of theabove committee; we have this leather 
in use. The range of color obtainable in this grade is small and 


Co 


the colors are duller than those possible by other means of 
manufacture; it is somewhat more difficult to tool but it will 
last and is not likely to fade. 

The most brilliant colored skins are likely to be the least 
durable. The duller staple reds, browns, blues, and perhaps some 
greens are most likely to wear well. 

We believe that some of the new French levants now being 
marketed are being prepared with due consideration to this fact 

Leathers with highly polished and crushed surfaces are fre- 
quently demanded by the purchaser. They are not only in poot 
taste but can be obtained only by methods injurious to the 
weating qualities. High polish is sometimes obtained during 
manufacture by mechanical means, either by a combined crush- 
ing and polishing process or by means of crushing with hot 
highly polished plates, or rollers, and much of the high finish 
thus obtained is destroyed in the course of handling by the 
binder and is restored by the repeated use of hot plates and 
crushing after covering. 

Evenness of color is another demand met by detrimental 
treatment during manufacture. One may well comment here 
on the fact that a great deal of trouble is taken with the leather 
(particularly in calfskin bindings) to disguise its even, smooth, 
natural color and grain by staining, marbling, veining and grain- 
ing, all of which results are obtained by injurious chemicals or 
hot stamping. 

The terms: tree; marbled; sprinkled; basket weave; diced 
calf; all imply the use of processes of deleterious nature. 

It is only fair to say that modern leather is subjected to 
much worse conditions than was the case in the earlier days 

2.6 


PLATE Oxi 
WANKER AT COURT OF KING ARTHUR  —MARK TWAIN 
PAINTED FORE-EDGE (FROM ILLUSTRATION IN BOOK). 


PELEEE LE LES OLE GOILEGOEL LEVEES 


PERSE ERT IES oH ahs 


BORE S60 ges scasoeeccr ‘2 <r a BI 


MAUVE LEVANT. 


DEEP RED LEVANT. 


BLACK LEVANT. 


ODER Ae ee eR RAH OK SARE RE EEK 6 Ke mS OAR OS hy aN a ew 
Sein nate ante np pat ena NHAC AAI nara AS Reece etn ate tite obras ra cata teabai in late 


ee et ee te Carer eee * 
Be Shae eater RSC Tan Seo 


Ne COO Tae 


—VALE PRESS. 
—KELUMSCOTE PRESS. 


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ILLUSTRATIONS 


POA LE yxy, 
WITH 
KHAYYAM 


CANTIQUES, 
FLOURE AND THE LEAFE 


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CANTIQUE DES 
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CENTER 


The worst of these is the variation from extreme damp of the 
summerts to extreme dryness in winter in these days of steam 
and hot water heating. Gas fumes are a danger, but gas is little 
used now in American homes. 

A report of the Engineering Experiment Station of the 
University of Illinois in its bulletin No. 141 states that for 
health and comfort there should be maintained 69° Fahrenheit 
and a telative humidity of 40 per cent. In a home of 10,000 
cubic feet, approximately a small six or seven-room house, it 
will take an evaporation of 7/1 of a gallon of water per hour or 
16.8 gallons per twenty-four hours to maintain this degree of 
relative humidity. This cannot be attained in the ordinary steam 
or hot water heated home. Practically the only way is with that 
type of furnace heat where thete is a constant flow of water into 
a pan above the fire box.* As few of the larger homes have this 
type of heating, we recommend the industrious use of white 
vaseline which is one of the best of several preparations; it 
should be lightly applied, particularly on the joints and at 
half-year intervals (or oftener according to conditions). 

Warping is one of the chief troubles due to indoor atmos- 
pheric conditions. The binder aims in binding to create a very 
slight warp towards the book. Some covers will be found to 
curl upwardly and outwardly very badly; this may be due to 
either insufficient board linings or atmospheric conditions and 
can, in extreme cases, be remedied by an extra board lining; as 
the binding gets seasoned the warping becomes less marked. 
A place for the rod; if the boards warp outwardly, suspect the binder. 


*It is too soon to state definitely, but experiments being conducted indicate that 
help is at hand for the hot water or steam heated house at comparatively small 
expense. If interested, write to us and we will keep you informed as to results. 


ay 


Newly bound books should 
not be kept loose in the shelves 
as in the sketch (fig. 26). 

Especial care should be tak- 
en to guard against keeping 
S588 SST books near the ceiling or steam 
pipes in the wall; books in this 
position will spread and warp and allow dirt to enter. 

One other factor is the importance of using well seasoned boards. 

Boards are composed of various materials, some, such as the 
cheap sttawboard, made of straw, others made of waste paper 
often containing miscellaneous scrap. The former may be de- 
tected by its ease of bending. We use only well-seasoned trope 
boards (i. e. made of rope) which are hydraulically pressed and 
are extremely hard and not easily bent. 

Buyers who live in dry, hot houses are recommended to use 
cloth slip cases for their books. We make a variety of styles of 
these cases (fig.27); they add greatly to the preservation of 
theit contents and make dusting so easy that a housemaid can handle 
ana move valuable books with little worry to the collector, 

Such cases ate absolutely necessary on books in vellum bind- 
ings which are used by the private presses, such as the Doves 
Press; Kelmscotts, etc., and original bindings of first editions. 


FORWARDING SUMMARIZED 


Skillful binding is of necessity a matter of compromise, but 
the compromise should be based on the skillful binder’s practical 
knowledge and not on certain qualities demanded by a buyer 
with a lack of such knowledge. , 

28 


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A book must open to be useful and should be made to open 
comfortably; however, the more easily and freely the book 
opens, the less the strength and wearing qualities. A cover 
should throw back easily; yet the more easily it throws back the 
more paring has been done at the joint and the weaker the book. 

Cords laced into the book should not be too apparent, but 
they must still show unless you sacrifice some strength. 

The flatter the back of a flexibly sewn book, the mote easily 
it opens and the more comfortable for reading, but the more 
likely to become concave as previously shown. 


TOOLING 


So far we have dealt with what is known as the “forward- 
ing,” i. e., the actual binding of the 
book. The decoration by tooling 
which may be eitherin goldor“blind” 
oracombination of the two,isknown 
as Finishing. Blind tooling is the use 
of stamps without gold. 

In finishing, as in forwarding, 
there are short cuts devised to min- 
imize work and cheapen production. 
The chief of these is what is known 
asa “run-up” back in a full gilt back 
(fig. 28); the decoration usually con- 
sists of panels (either one or two line) 
| | carefully mitered at the corners en- 
Runup baek.'|: Closing. the: desired. tooling (fig. 29). Mitred Back 

SOS e Minas e is the} aise u 2 ‘of.theicor- __Eis- 28 


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nets of the gold lines forming the panels. In a run-up back the 
saving is effected by running two lines all the way up each side 
of the back and omitting the mitering; this again is the easier 
done in the case of an ordinary sewn book with false bands 
An enormous gain in time is obtained in a run-up back. 

Further time is gained by using multiple tools (or stamps) 
which permit quicker work but with a resulting mechanical 
effect. An unfortunate feature has crept into modern work; the 
designs on book are sometimes stamped on the sides by a power 
stamping press, the backs being hand stamped. A step even fur- 
ther is taken by touching in parts of the machine stamped de- 
sign with hand tools; in other words to simulate hand tooling 
by disguising the deadly even impression made by machine 
stamping. 

Large editions of such books are now bound up and spread 
through the United States. Small so-called gift books are the 
type now often selected for such treatment. These are apt to be 
regarded as hand-tooled but the price charged gives the answer 
even to the uninitiated. You can not buy a book with both 
covets elaborately gold tooled for twenty or twenty-five dollars. 

Mechanical precision of work is sometimes demanded and 
this demand can only result in stultifying the craftsman’s effort. 
Honest book binding is but hand work and hand work has its 
limitations. This is no excuse for careless or poor workmanship. 

To those more deeply interested in the practical side we 
would recommend a small, inexpensive book written by 
Douglas Cockerell, entitled: “Bookbinding, and the Care of 
Books” published by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., London. We 
use this book in our apprentice school. 


31 


AS TO DESIGN 

Tradition, which serves us so well in construction, again 
serves us in decoration, but differently. A study of the works 
of the great outstanding binders of the past centuries reveals 
continual movement in design. The influence of the activities 
of the period, the influence of other crafts and even the influence 
of the country of production have all left their mark, and fresh 
styles of decoration have been evolved continuously. This is 
true of the later master binders, each of whom has created and 
left a distinctive style of design; but whether it be the work of 
the older or the later masters, one outstanding feature is always 
evident; they all recognized and were bound by the limitations 
of their means of production. Modern tendencies, which are 
influencing all branches of creative work whether it be music, 
literature or the arts and crafts generally, are equally in evidence 
in modern binding. We have ventured into new fields of design 
and we present in these pages some of the flowers plucked there- 
in; regarding them, perhaps, as stepping stones which we trust 
will lead to the evolution of a distinctly characteristic style of 
out own. 

This book has been written to turn your eye from the 
false front, brilliant exterior, to the question of construction 
and wearing qualities, the things that cost a great deal and can 
only be appreciated by the initiated. 

The extra binding department of The Lakeside Press has the 
good quality, or poor judgment, as you like it, of binding a// 
books to last. The value of the book does not affect the kind of 
materials used nor method of workmanship, although it should 
make a great difference in the amount of decoration. 


32 


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